Because of such wide ranging basic research and the development of protection concepts, such as the concept of lightning protection zones as organizing principle of an EMC, as well as suitable protective measures and devices against field generated and conducted interference due to lightning discharges, we now have the necessary conditions for protecting systems in such a way that the final risk of failure can be kept extremely low. Thus, it can be guaranteed that the essential infrastructure can be maintained and catastrophes avoided in cases of extraordinary atmospheric threats.